Iraqi Security Forces
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Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) is the Multi-National Force-Iraq name for forces that serve under the Government of Iraq. I.e. the Military of Iraq, which is administered by the Ministry of Defense, and the Iraqi Police, which is administered by the Ministry of Interior. The Iraqi Security Forces are trained by the Iraqi Government with assistance from Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq. The Iraqi Government and Multi-National Force Iraq have planned that Iraqi Security Forces will assume full responsibility for providing security for the Iraqi people during year 2007. At the same time, there are concerns regarding occurrences of displaced loyalties and sectarian agendas within the force.
The number of trained and equipped ISF has been an often cited benchmark of progress in the Iraq War. As of March 2007, there were 330,000 ISF trained and equipped.[1] Prime minister Maliki announced October 31st, 2006, that the size of the Iraqi Security Forces will increase from 325,000 to 355,000 members. This will provide three additional division headquarters and a reformed leave policy.[2]
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[edit] History
The Iran-Iraq War ended with Iraq supporting the worlds 4th biggest military of the Middle East, with more than 70 army divisions and over 700 aircraft within its air force[3]thanks to funding from the surrounding Gulf states and billions in loans and funding given or secured by the US State Department to support Iraq's war with Iran.[4][5] Losses during the invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent ejection of Iraqi forces from Kuwait by a United Nations coalition resulted in the reduction of Iraq's ground forces to 23 divisions and the air force to less than 300 aircraft. Military and economic sanctions prevent Iraq from rebuilding its military power. Iraq maintained a standing military of about 375,000 troops.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Iraq built and used an arsenal of chemical and biological weapons, which have been alleged to come from the United States.[6] In actual fact all the US did was allow dual-use material to be exported, and there is no evidence that it was used for anything other than its civilian purpose. These weapons were ordered destroyed by United Nations order. After a protracted and problematic weapons inspection process, the majority of weapons were considered to be destroyed and facilities sealed under UN weapons inspections. A new round of weapons inspections was performed in early 2003 by United Nations weapons inspectors led by Hans Blix, which searched Iraqi sites again, but found no new weapons. In March 2003, a US-led coalition invaded and occupied Iraq. After a year-long investigation by an American weapons inspections team, headed by David Kay, found that no large stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction (though a network of UN-inspected and sealed laboratories did exist).
During the years of 2005 and 2006, the focus of the ISF development effort was force generation. By the end of 2006, the force generation goals were met. During 2007 the ISF development effort will be focused on logistical sustainment and leadership development. This will make ISF capable of assuming full responsibility for providing security for the Iraqi people by the end of 2007, it is hoped.
[edit] Force structure
Iraqi security forces are composed of forces serving under the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the Ministry of Defense (MOD). MOD forces are the army, the navy and the air force. MOI forces are the police, the paramilitary national police and the border enforcement forces. Also, other ministries have Facility Protection Service personnel who act as guards at government buildings and as personal security details to protect ministry officials.[7]
[edit] Iraqi Army
The Iraqi Army is an objective counter-insurgency force that is currently being developed by the government of Iraq in cooperation with coalition forces. The force generation plan as of November 2006 will train and equip 125,000 soldiers and officers in 36 brigades and 112 battalions with motorized transportation regiments, logistic battalions and support units. The army will also include 4 strategic infrastructure brigades and a special operations brigade.
The Iraqi army is described as the most important element of the counter-insurgency fight.[8] The tactic is to provide security and other services on a local level by using infantrymen on dismounted patrols. As insurgents lose the passive or active support from the local population, they will easily be defeated, it is believed.
Light infantry brigades will be equipped with small arms, machine guns, RPGs, body armor and light amored vehicles. Mechanized infantry brigades will be equipped with T-54/55 main battle tanks and BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles.[8]
[edit] Iraqi Navy
The Iraqi Navy is a small force designed to protect shoreline and inland waterways from insurgent infiltration. The navy is also responsible for the security of offshore oil platforms. The navy will have coastal patrol squadrons, assault boat squadrons and a marine battalion.[8] The force will consist of 2,000 to 2,500 sailors by year 2010.[1]
[edit] Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force is designed to support ground forces with surveillance, reconnaissance and troop lift. Two reconnaissance squadrons use light aircraft, three helicopter squadrons are used to move troops and one air transportation squadron use C-130 transport aircraft to move troops, equipment and supplies.[8]
[edit] Iraqi Police
The primary objective of the Iraqi Police is to safeguard the public and provide internal security at the local level. The Iraqi police is presently mainly focused on counter-insurgency operations, but over time the Iraqi police will improve criminal investigation capabilities including forensic investigative capabilities.
During the Saddam regime, the Iraqi police was used as an instrument to terrorize, intimidate and incite fear into the populace, using torture, threat and murder. Today, the new Iraqi police force is tasked with protecting people from such acts. The police course curriculum includes democratic policing, human rights, first aid, police ethics and leadership communications.
The Iraqi police is equipped with AK-47s, Glock pistols, body armor, pick-up trucks and SUVs.[7] The Iraqi police is recruited locally and genrerally reflective of the demographic makeup of its neighborhoods.
December 24, 2006, Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad Bolani stated that an estimated 4,000 Iraqi police officers have died and 8,000 have been wounded in the line of duty since the US-led invasion in 2003.[9]
[edit] Iraqi National Police
The National Police (NP) is a paramilitary force designed to bridge the gap between local policing and the army, allowing the MOI to project power across provinces and maintain law and order while an effective community police is developed. Although called police, the force has been trained primarily for military operations.
Because of frequent allegations of abuse and other illegal activities, the government of Iraq decided fall 2006 to reform and retrain all NP units. The NP transformation will yield a police organization capable of performing criminal investigations as well as tactical operations. The transformation includes a reorganization that resulted in replacement of two division headquarters with a National Police Headquarters.[7]
Weak or corrupt leadership, militia influences and lack of logistical and maintenance sustainment have affected the capabilities of NP units. Initial estimates compiled during NP transformation show that the NP are disroportionately Shia. Recruiting initiatives are targeting Sunnis to improve the diversity of the NP force.
NP units are equipped with small arms, machine guns, pick-up trucks and SUVs. The mechanized battalions are equipped with light armored vehicles.[7]
[edit] Iraqi Border enforcement
Iraq's borders are controlled by the Department of Border Enforcement (DBE) and the Deparment of Ports of Entry (POE) collectively. The DBE is manning 405 border structures. There are 14 land points of entry. As of November 2006, there were 28,300 DBE personnel trained, organized into 5 regions, 12 brigades and 38 battalions. Force generation and equipment goals are on schedule for completion by December 2006.[7]
[edit] Facilities Protection Service
There are more than 150,000 Facility Protection Service personnel who work for 26 ministries and 8 independent directorates. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some of them are unreliable and responsible for violent crimes. PM Maliki has announced a reform to consolidate all Facilities Protection Service personnel into a unified organization responsible to the MOI. As of December 2005, the Coalition no longer provides material or logisitcal support to the FPS.[7]
[edit] Assuming responsibilities for security
As of March 2006, 8 of 10 Iraqi Army divisions have been transferred to an all-Iraqi chain of command. Leadership problems within the National Police have been addressed during the fall of 2006 and early 2007 by replacing National Police commanders. The National Police brigades are currently deployed in Operation Law and Order. Geographically, the ISF control almost 70% of Iraq, including most populated areas. First, ISF will assume responsibility for counter-insurgency operations, with coalition help in medical evacuations and logistics. In the next step, ISF will develop capacity to sustain themselves.
September 7, 2006, MNF-I transferred operational responsibility for the 8th Iraqi Army division, the Iraqi Navy and the Iraqi Air Force to an all-Iraqi chain of command. The transfer shows that the Iraqi command and control-structure is ready to assume responsibility for counter-insurgency operations in vast areas of Iraq. In the 8th IA division area of operations, the coalition soldiers, airmen and marines serve as advisors only. The Iraqi chain of command is level by level (i) Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief, (ii) Ministry of Defense, (iii) Iraqi Joint Headquarters, (iv) Iraqi Ground Forces Command, (v) Division Headquarters.[10] The transfer was hailed as a milestone in the transfer of responsibilities from the coalition to the government of Iraq. The IA 4th division transferred to Iraqi chain-of-command September 2006[11] and the 3rd division was transferred December 1st, 2006.[12]
[edit] Process of achieving security self-reliance
MNF-I have proclaimed the year 2007 as the year of transition. During 2007, the Iraqi government will assume full responsibility for sustaining security operations and providing security for the Iraqi people.[13]
In a report to U.S. Congress, the Pentagon reports that its plans for security transition is broken down into four phases:
- Implement Partnerships — MNF-I establish and maintain partnerships across the entire spectrum of Iraqi Security Forces units, from battalion through to ministerial level.
- Iraqi Army Lead (IAL) — Process during which Iraqi Army units progress through stages of capability from unit formation to the ability to conduct counter-insurgency operations.
- Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC) — Iraqi civil authorities satisfy the conditions required to assume control and exercise responsibility for the security of their respective provinces.
- Iraqi Security Self-Reliance — The Government of Iraq achieves PIC (or a combination of PIC and IAL) throughout Iraq; and the Government, through its security ministries, is capable of planning, conducting, and sustaining security operations and forces.[14]
The first phase was completed in May 2006. The second phase is well under way (see figure). MNF-I commander Gen Casey said August 30, 2006 that the phase is almost 75% complete.[15] Muthanna was the first province to enter the third phase July 2006.[16] Dhi Qar province achieved PIC in September 06[11] and Najaf achieved PIC in December 2006.[17]
The US Department of Defense expects Dahuk, Irbil, Sulaymaniyah, Qadisiyah, Maysan and Ninewah to be transitioned to PIC by the spring of 2007. The remaining provinces are expected to achieve PIC in 2007 except for Anbar, which is projected to transfer to PIC in early 2008.[18]
The third phase is to a large extent dependent upon the readiness of local police and local governance. Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT), with personnel from the US Department of State, US Department of Justice and MNF-I are active in Ninawa, Babil, Tamim, Baghdad, Al Anbar, Salah ad Din, Diyala, Basra and Dhi Qar provinces, to assist in developing governance capabilities.[19]
The phases are not strictly sequential, for example Muthanna went from phase one directly to phase three. The Iraqi government and MNF-I form the Joint Committee to Transfer Security Responsibility (JCTSR), which assesses when conditions permit handing over security responsibilities to the ISF. JCTSR assesses conditions in four areas: security situation, readiness of the ISF, readiness of local governance and working relations with MNF-I.[14]
[edit] External links
- Iraqi Force Development in 2006, by Anthony H. Cordesman and William D. Sullivan
- Fact Sheet: Training Iraqi Security Forces, The White House
- Measuring Security and Stability in Iraq, Quarterly reports from the US Department of Defense to US Congress.
[edit] References
- ^ a b US Department of State, Iraq Weekly Status Report Mars 21, 2007
- ^ US Department of State, Iraq Weekly Status Report November 15, 2006
- ^ Iraqi ArmyGlobalSecurity.org
- ^ Sworn court declaration of former NSC official Howard Teicher, dated 1/31/95
- ^ [http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB82/ Shaking Hands with Saddam Hussein: The U.S. Tilts toward Iraq, 1980-1984]
- ^ "U.S. Chemical and Biological Warfare-Related Dual Use Exports to Iraq and their Possible Impact on the Health Consequences of the Persian Gulf War," Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs with Respect to Export Administration, reports of May 25, 1994 and October 7, 1994
- ^ a b c d e f Measuring Security and Stability in Iraq, November 2006. US Department of Defense Report
- ^ a b c d The New Iraqi Security Forces, Article on MNF-I website, 20 April 2006
- ^ [1]
- ^ With hope and a signature, Iraq takes command of its armed forces, Daily article on MNF-I website, September 8, 2006
- ^ a b MNF-I Press briefing, September 14, 2006
- ^ Iraqis to command four northern divisions by February, U.S. general says MNF-I Daily article December 2, 2006
- ^ MNF-I Press Briefing, December 05, 2006
- ^ a b Measuring Security and Stability in Iraq, May 2006. US Department of Defense Report
- ^ MNF-I Press Roundtable, Aug 30, 2006
- ^ This Week in Iraq - MNF-I Newsletter, June 26, 2006
- ^ An Najaf now under Provincial Iraqi Control, MNF-I press release, Thursday, 21 December 2006
- ^ Measuring Security and Stability in Iraq, February 2007. US Departmet of Defense Report
- ^ US Department of State, Iraq Weekly Status Report October 04, 2006
| Insurgents | Iraqi Security Forces | Militias and others | ||
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Shia militia
The Mahdi Army is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003.
In the fall of 2006, Abu Deraa and his supporters formed their own militia.
The armed wing of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). Kurdish militia
Others (Organization for the Holy Struggle Foundation in Mesopotamia, a.k.a. al-Qaeda in Iraq) |
